My Old Friend
by MT Pocketts
Summary: A collection of random oneshots, descriptions inside except for first chapter. Mostly striaght pairings, there will be some yaoi and yuri but NO lime.
1. My Old Friend

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or any of the Characters from Naruto.

**A/N:** I'm not going for reviews or anything on this one, this was just something I needed to put out there. The characters will definitely not be themselves, as they will represent someone else entirely. If you enjoy this, great. If not then well maybe you can go back and find something else.  
** Added update:** I will for sure not be updating this. I have NO inspiration for this story left, I'm very sorry. So I'm deleting chapter 2 and I'll be making this into a one shot. If anybody got a brilliant idea from this, go ahead and run with it. Just please give me credit as you inspiration!

xxx

She looked at him in surprise. She had honestly never expected to see him again, and yet here he was. He looked the same as he always had, if time had done anything it appeared to have worn away the last of his childish demeanor. From his appearance anyway. The old twinge of shyness pulled at her, telling her to walk away. But that was not how she was anymore, she would be confident. A trait she had learned from the very person who stood before her now.

"Naruto," She said calmly and clearly. No longer being the timid girl she once was, she went closer to see him. Upon hearing his name, the blonde haired boy had looked her way and their eyes met. It had only been a year or two since they'd last seen each other, and yet it felt like it had been much longer. His eyes took her in, recognizing an old friend, and he smiled.

"Hinata, it's been so long," Naruto walked over to her calmly and gave her a hug. Hinata was not expecting this display of affection; he had hardly paid her that much attention before. "How are things with you?"

"I'm doing fine, what's new with you?" Hinata tried to remain emotionless but found it hard to pull off. After all she had gone through, it was hard to be calm about it.

"Just got back from spending some time training with Jiraiya-sama actually," He smiled, and something in his smile suggested that he had learned a lot in the time he had been gone.

"Sounds interesting," Was all that she could say in response. What was she supposed to say? She had been happy that he'd gone away so that she could eventually forget him. Before Naruto had left things were already growing complicated. She had become accustomed to running into him at the Ichiraku, silently hoping that one day he would finally see her as more than a friend. That trail led to heartbreak, and she'd gone back to take another path before she could be affected. Or so she had thought.

"Look, it's about lunch time. Why don't we go to the Ichiraku? It'll be just like old times," He grinned at her again. Hinata agreed, but it felt so different to her.

As they walked, old feelings stirred up within her. She had liked him long ago, and now she began to think she liked him once again. He had a certain air about him that affected her in ways she didn't like. Hinata had spent every moment he was gone thinking of how she was only doing herself harm. She was reaching for something that was out of her reach. Now she knew better, she would not lust after Naruto like she once had.

"Well, what have you been up to here in Konoha?" Naruto wanted to know.

"Pretty much the same, going out on missions with my team," Hinata sighed, trying to think of what she could tell him that would be interesting. There had been a time when it felt like he'd found everything she told him interesting, but that was then and this is now.

"I heard Neji moved up to the Jounin level," Naruto said casually.

"Oh yes, him, Shikamaru, and Kiba," She beamed. Kiba had come to her first when he'd been promoted, the look on his face was more happy than she'd seen him before. Of course, she couldn't say that to Naruto. "The rest of us are still Chuunin."

"So much for the rookie nine," Naruto let out a half laugh but stopped when Hinata glared at him. "Sorry, I'm glad you passed finally. It's just…"

"You're still a genin," Hinata finished for him and he nervously laughed once more. "Don't worry, it's easier the second time. We'll try not to tease you too much from the sidelines." He looked amused by her remark, and they went into the Ichiraku quietly. A few people smiled and waved as they saw Naruto come in, it had been so long since most of them had seen him

"Wasn't expecting that," He said quietly as they sat down. The restaurant had settled down and people were back to their usual selves. Hinata and Naruto were the only members of the rookie nine there at the moment.

"You were their favorite customer, why wouldn't they be happy to see you?" Hinata grinned at him.

"It feels like it was yesterday, but everything seems so different," He looked around the restaurant, memories lighting up his eyes. When his gaze settled back onto Hinata, he studied her for a moment. "You've changed too."

"I suppose," She grinned. "I mean, I'm not sitting here blushing and twiddling my thumbs like I would have two years ago." He grinned back at her, remembering how she had been when they were kids.

"True, but it's not just that. It's like you're…" Naruto trailed off and shook his head sheepishly. "Never mind."

"You're not so childish anymore," Hinata commented. "It's refreshing, in a way."

"Nah, I'll always be a kid at heart," He replied, and she could tell he was right from the way he smiled when they got their ramen. "Oh I missed this…"

She smiled at him, remembering the Naruto she'd known so long ago who'd slurped down his ramen in exactly the same way. He was still the same happy ball of sunshine that had left to train, even if he'd matured a little bit.

"Oh, uh, Hinata," He wiped his mouth as he spoke. "How is Sakura doing?"

Hinata openly sighed, she knew he'd ask about the pink-haired girl sooner or later. Naruto watched her patiently, hands ready to dive for more ramen as he waited for her answer.

"She's fine. She's been working with Tsunade a lot. She has that super human strength and is a medic now," Hinata answered plainly.

"Huh, good for her," He went back to his ramen immediately. Hinata was a little surprised he'd stopped there, but then again this was Naruto.

"Did you miss her?" Hinata asked and mentally smacked herself. _'Why do you want to know that? You don't like him anymore! Remember?'_ She thought as she saw him pause again to answer her.

"For about the first year, I did," He swallowed and looked to the side, deciding whether or not to continue. "Then I got thinking, she was crying when Sasuke left. When he turned his back on our village so that he could be strong enough to kill his brother, she cried. When I left, to train and come back strong enough to protect our village and someday become Hokage, she waved me off with a smile on her face."

"Well, she knew you'd be coming back," Hinata said.

"That's what I kept telling myself," Naruto said. "But she didn't know how long it would take, I didn't either. I just finally realized she hadn't acted like she was going to miss me, so I made myself get over it."

Hinata couldn't find anything to say. He had practically put words to how she had been feeling for those last two years. _'He really has grown up,'_ She thought. Naruto went back to his ramen and Hinata ate her own in silence. Secretly, Naruto had been thinking the same thing about her.

"Would you like another bowl?" The waiter appeared by Naruto's side the very second he set down the empty bowl, a move he'd practiced since Naruto had discovered his love for ramen.

"Yeah, sure," Naruto said absent-mindedly. Hinata giggled as the man went away, it was just like old times. "I heard Shikamaru and Ino are finally dating."

"Yeah, I think Ino finally realized Shikamaru really did care about her," Hinata smiled at the thought. "And Tenten and Neji got together."

"How'd that one happen? He's too much of a rock and she's too proud," Naruto wanted to know.

"She went on a date, that woke him up," Hinata laughed.

"With who?"

"Kiba."

"Yeah, that would do it," Naruto laughed and looked down to the new bowl of ramen before him. As Naruto dug in, she flashed back on the whole scenario. Kiba and Tenten had planned it out so that Neji would see them out on her date, and they knew it would be enough to fire up the Hyuuga. The very next day during training Tenten and Neji had sorted things out.

When they both finished their ramen they decided to leave. Hinata made to pay for hers, but Naruto wouldn't let her. She was surprised, she'd never seen him treat her this way before. Hope began to flicker in her heart once more.

"I should go, I'm supposed to help Hanabi train today," Hinata smiled at Naruto once more. "It was good to see you again."

"Oh yeah, you too," He stammered back, surprised by her suddenly leaving. She turned to go before he caught her arm to stop her. "Wait… Uh, do you want to do lunch again tomorrow?"

She looked at him in surprise. _'Is that his way of asking me on a date?…'_ Hinata thought but told herself to not get her hopes up. But the look in Naruto's eyes suggested otherwise, still she knew she had other plans.

"I can't tomorrow, sorry," She said. _'Why should I be sorry? He's the one who treated me so indifferently. He doesn't matter, just like I didn't matter to him. He didn't care,'_ She thought to herself, trying to maintain the mask she was hiding behind. Something she'd learned from Neji over the years.

"The day after tomorrow?"

"Naruto…Are you trying to ask me out on a date?"

"Well…Yeah, I guess so…" Naruto actually turned red, she couldn't believe her eyes.

"I'm so sorry Naruto," Hinata said, honestly this time. "I'm…Kind of…taken."

"Taken?" He said and she nodded. He looked disappointed, which merely added to Hinata's confusion. 'Wait a minute… Now he cares?'

"Oh I see…Who's the lucky guy?" Naruto asked, it was another one of those questions. The kind where someone doesn't want to know the answer but they ask anyway.

"Kiba."

"You're dating _him_? Why?" Naruto slid back into his childish state without knowing it, Hinata thought it was funny but didn't show it.

"Well, he treats me well, he really cares about me and…" Hinata trailed off as she studied the look in his eyes. Naruto almost looked…hurt. She didn't know it was possible for her to make him feel that way, after all she'd gone through, thinking that he hadn't cared. "…You weren't here." She finished and walked away, leaving Naruto alone to think about what had just happened.


	2. Team

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto.

**Author's Note**: This is going to become a place for me to post random one-shots. Enjoy!

**Story**: ShikaXIno, character death.

_Team_

He had a way of making her want to slap him and hug him all at once. There was something about his lazy intelligence that she could never get over. Not only that, but he was always a great friend to her and Chouji. He would look out for them, and always have a plan that would help them with anything. That was what lazy, cloud-gazing Shikamaru had always done for them.

This time there was no brilliant solution to their problem; they were, for lack of a better term, screwed.

Chouji wore himself out as he rolled around the enemies, knocking them out. It was not long before he resorted to those pills again, something his team had always told him to avoid. Shikamaru had several trapped in his shadow bind, the darkness helping him greatly. Ino remained doing only minor taijutsu battles, since her technique would be no use here.

And it was no surprise that Ino did what she did when she saw someone with a katana appear behind Shikamaru. As a loyal teammate and friend, she did the only thing anyone with that little window of opportunity would have done.

Ino took the blade for Shikamaru.

Her grunt was all that told him she was even there. He turned around and his dark eyes widened as he saw her. The enemy drew out the sword, but was immediately taken out by some of those under Shikamaru's control. Ino faltered under the lack of support and he caught her quickly.

Gazing up at him with half-lidded eyes she noticed the concern in his eyes and smiled. Maybe they could have been more than just teammates after all.

"Don't make me regret this, lazy bum," Ino said with difficulty.

"Why do you always have to be so bossy?" Shikamaru pressed a hand to her wound, looking like he was about to cry.

"Someone has to keep you motivated," her eyes started to close as she spoke.

"Ino… Ino, stay with me," the panic was obvious in his voice.

"It's okay… I'll always watch your back, always have," her eyes drifted closed at last and her breathed slowed. He never saw her blue eyes again.


	3. Contestant YURI

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto.

**Author's Note: **The idea came from a Nickelback song called "Next Contestant." **_Warning: Very mild yuri. TemarixTenten._**

_The Next Contestant_

_xXx_

Her eyes watched carefully as the men surrounded her friend. Temari sipped her white Russian coolly as the pounding music drowned out the voices she wanted to hear. She kept a close eye on her friend, and noted the smile on the girl's face as she set down her drink and headed to the dance floor with the handsome stranger. It was the fourth one tonight. Temari sighed inwardly but maintained her mask of apathy. She watched her friend on the dance floor and her drink at the same time; Temari didn't trust anyone around her friend. The blonde winced as the reminder cut in: she kept wanting to think _girlfriend_ instead of friend.

Tenten was dancing now, the smile on her face had grown and her hair fell gracefully around her shoulders. Hair that had been restrained in those buns for far too long. The stranger got closer and closer as Temari watched with a twitch, her grip on her drink tightening. Temari knew that Tenten was only here to loosen up after a long week of training, that was why they came together; safety in numbers. Although Temari did not enjoy dancing like Tenten did, she was good at keeping an eye on her friend.

She couldn't pinpoint when these feelings had started. It had taken her eighteen years to realize that she wasn't straight, but she couldn't figure out why these desires were so strongly centered on Tenten. Tenten; the girl she'd beaten-- badly-- in the chuunin exam all those years ago. The girl who was swaying on the dance floor now with someone else.

Temari released her drink before her grip could crush it. The man's hands were exploring the delicate body before him. Temari stood up slowly, taking in the whole situation before allowing herself to react. Sure enough, the man's hand betrayed him and he moved to caress the girl in a place she would likely not appreciate.

He gasped in pain as Temari bent the offending hand back against itself. Tenten blinked in surprise, but her gaze soon darkened as she saw where Temari had caught his hand. Tenten backed away, smiling gratefully at Temari, and returned to the drink she had left at the bar.

"See that girl you were dancing with?" Temari hissed as she tightened her grip on the man's hand. "That's my girl… Don't you dare mess with her again or next time the hand comes off."

She tossed him aside carelessly and went back over to the bar, taking a deep drink of her white Russian. Tenten sighed and looked over at Temari gratefully. Temari smiled back and forgot the jealous feelings that had only been present a few minutes ago.

"Why does that always have to happen?" Tenten wondered aloud.

"Because you loosen up so much, it makes you vulnerable. It's like you have a vibe they come to," Temari tried to answer.

"Oh well, thanks again," Tenten took another sip of her drink.

"Anytime," Temari replied.

"It's getting late, we should head out," Tenten pulled out her wallet and paid for the few drinks she had. Temari did the same and they left together.

The air was cool outside the hot bar atmosphere, and the girls were reminded that it was late autumn. Tenten drew her jacket tighter around herself and Temari smiled in spite of herself. She really did enjoy these times with her friend, even if she had to take care of the undesirables at times.

Tenten's loose hair swayed in the breeze and the moonlight lit the path. It really was a lovely night. It was to bad that one of the men from the club had followed them out. He cleared his throat to get their attention and they turned around reluctantly. Temari's jaw tightened as she recognized the second contestant; the one she'd had to actually punch. His face still seemed rather purple.

"You ladies going alone?" he teased, his breath smelling heavily of liquor. He went right up to Tenten and brushed a hair out of her face. Tenten frowned and leaned away from him.

"Who do you think--"

"Temari," Tenten stopped her friend. "I can handle this one. I don't need you to protect me all the time."

Temari stopped abruptly and frowned. The girl's tone had reminded her so much of the one she had heard all those years ago, once again during the chuunin exam…

_… "How can you be so reckless with a fellow ninja!" Rock Lee had been lecturing her. She had merely stared back at him, trying not to laugh at this young boy for what he was saying. It was a competition, winning was the objective. So what if throwing her once she was unconscious was seen as cruel by this guy?_

_"Fine! I chall--" he'd began but a yell from his teammate stopped him._

_"Lee! Stop it!" she had come up behind him and her tone made him jump. Even Temari had looked over with interest; the girl was pissed. "I can handle myself! I don't need you! I'm strong!"_

_She was huffing, and still seemed rather tired, but her eyes showed the fire within. Temari felt a slight chill when that fire turned to her, and Lee had backed away obediently. They blazed with what Gai would have called her "flame of youth," but they were also brimming with unshed tears._

_"The better girl won," Tenten admitted. "But someday, I will be ready to defeat you."…_

_…_It had been that look that had made Temari regret her actions. The girl had spirit, and a strong sense of honor. Still, even remembering that, it was hard for her to step down in this case.

"Oh, a fight with your hired thug?" the man snickered, but his expression turn to shock when Tenten had a hold of his collar and had pulled him down to her level with a kunai to his neck.

"Don't call her that again," Tenten hissed and added something that Temari could not hear. The man scampered away when Tenten threw him back and the girls went on their way once more.

"What did you tell him?" Temari wanted to know.

"The same thing I tell the other men that try to go to far, before you have to step in," Tenten smiled, and Temari could have sworn the girl's cheeks were pink.

"And that is?"

"I told him not to piss off my girlfriend," Tenten gave Temari a smile, who stared back in shock. Temari slowly began to smile back and the two walked home, hand in hand.

A week later, the club was once more pounding the same music and the night had come alive. Tenten was dancing alone now, but still there was someone getting too close to her. The music distracted her, all she knew was that language of words and notes. The thud of the heavy bass in her body as she moved with it, and as the man behind her drew closer.

There was a snapping sound behind her, and she turned slightly to see that Temari had apprehended the third one tonight.

"Is that your hand--" Temari tightened her grip, causing the man to wince, "-- on my girlfriend?"

Tenten could not help but smile, yet still made a mental note to have Temari loosen up from now on.


	4. HinataXShino

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto, blah blah blah…

**Author's Note: **Someone requested a Hinata/Shino…Sorry but I forgot your name… Anyhow, here it is and I hope you like it. I've never done this pairing before… Or even written about Shino before, so please bear with me. Also the next request was for a Neji Ten, haha my specialty!

_Just A Moment_

_By MT Pocketts_

-x-X-x-

"Hinata," she jumped at the familiar voice and smiled when she recognized her teammate; Shino.

"Hello, Shino-kun," Hinata said with a shy smile and turned back to watch what she had been staring at when Shino had surprised her.

He stood there with her in silence, studying his surroundings without a word. Shino had found Hinata here, on a balcony overlooking one of the busiest streets of Konoha. He knew her too well to not know what it was she was watching with that pink flush adorning her cheeks; this particular balcony was across from the Ichiraku.

The blonde ninja that held Hinata's attention so vividly was sitting in the front, ordering bowl after bowl as his friend and sensei Iruka smiled at him. The girl's eyes held admiration, and another emotion that Shino could not deny. He could not help but recognize it, since it was one that he found himself all too familiar with.

"Why watch him so closely?" Shino asked, causing his friend to jump out of her daydream once more.

"It's b-because I a-admire h-him," Hinata's face was now crimson red.

"You know what I meant," Shino said, teasingly.

"I-I know," she stuttered. "B-But that's how it started. I admire him, s-so I t-thought of h-him more…"

"And it lead to your crush on Naruto-kun," Shino finished for her, and she smiled in acknowledgment of his accuracy. They were quiet once again, allowing the sounds of the street to drift up to them. The mothers trying to shop with their children, the friends talking happily, the academy students running around, and Naruto's happy laughter as he spent time with Iruka. It was a typical day for this street in Konoha, it was happy and full of life even as the two genin watched it in silence from above the joyous chaos.

"You know, Hinata," Shino went on, not looking her way and instead watching the street. "At first, you were so quiet and nervous. Even in training you held back. Then something changed; you became more confident. You would train longer and harder than either Kiba or I did. You spoke up more and your stutter began to fade away."

"I've tried," Hinata blushed. "It's easier to relax around you and Kiba-kun."

Shino smiled as he pushed his sunglasses farther up his nose, then went on. "You are an excellent ninja, even though you may be seen as weaker than some."

"Shino-kun…"

"But it was not because of who you admired, rather you found it in yourself. You forged your own ninja way, and you were able to leave your mark on anyone who saw your match with Neji," Shino paused here, noting the slightly sad look in her eyes. "You stood up against all odds… And that inspired others… Including me."

She was silent as her eyes widened and she stared at him in surprise. It was one of the few times he had spoken to her for such a long time, and now he was being so open with her. This was a rare moment.

"I found myself looking up to you; silently wishing you the best. You are the same as Naruto-kun… Except that you are silent while he is loud."

"Why are you telling me this?" she finally asked him.

"So that you know that you can find inspiration in yourself, not just those who cry out for the attention," Shino said plainly and Hinata bit back a laugh at his description of Naruto. Without another word, Shino turned to leave and she watched him go with a feeling of mild surprise. Somehow, she felt like she could not let him leave just yet.

Hinata took a step forward, reaching out and placing a hand on his shoulder to stop him. She slowly withdrew it as his shaded eyes met her pearly white orbs. Shino's gaze seemed to ask for her reason in stopping him, but Hinata was reluctant to explain it.

The sounds of the growing crowd below rose up to them once more, seeming to bring more reality to their fantasy. They just watched each other for another moment, each waiting for the other to make the first move.

With shaking hands, Hinata reached upwards and gently grasped his sunglasses. He closed his eyes as she slid them off of his face with care. She paused once they were off, and waiting for his eyes to meet hers for the first time. Hinata held the folded sunglasses with one hand as she cupped the other around his cheek and gently urged him closer. Shino bent to her will, and felt her soft lips caress his cheek.

Hinata drew back with a slight blush, and handed back his sunglasses. He took them silently, and turned around once more. She said nothing and slowly turned back to watch the street below. Hinata knew that Shino would not look back.

It was just a moment, but somehow after that moment she found no point in watching the blonde boy in the restaurant below.


	5. Happy Birthday Neji

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto, Neji (cry, I want my bishie!) or Tenten.

**Author's Note: **About last chapter, it was _White Snake918 _who requested it. Hope you enjoyed it! This NejiTen was requested by _HAKUJUZOHANDMERAKUOH. _I love you for the request but please don't make me type that again….

**Summary: **Based off of a fanart on my deviantArt account, _Miakoda13_ and I had fun with this one… After the 2 year gap. Some nudity, no details. Slightly suggestive.

_Happy Birthday Neji!_

_By MT Pocketts_

Tenten marched into Team Gai's usual training area with an abnormally large grin on her face, and was met by Lee sitting under a tree with his friends the squirrels. He smiled at his female teammate as she came up at sat next to him, tossing the box down next to her as she settled herself.

"What is that for?" Lee asked her, pointing at the box. Tenten snickered evilly and Lee raised a thick eyebrow at her. He exchanged worried looks with the squirrels and waited as Tenten pulled the box into her lap and carefully un-did the large red bow.

"It's Neji's birthday today," Tenten explained, letting the ribbon drop loose and preparing to open the box. "So I brought him a present."

"His birthday?" Lee was shocked. "that's why he's late!"

"Exactly. He says Hiashi-sama usually makes them do this extra long breakfast on birthdays."

"What did you get him?" Lee leaned closer and one of the squirrels even dared to climb atop Tenten's shoulder for a better view.

"It's… a gag gift," Tenten laughed manically and lifted the lid. Lee gasped as he saw a box of extra-large condoms sitting there in rainbow colored tissue paper. She just laughed more at his

"I should get him something funny too!" Lee jumped up and the squirrels scurried away.

"What are you going to get with such short notice…?" Tenten wondered aloud and Lee paused for a moment. She could almost see the words _'What would Gai-sensei do?' _go through his mind.

"I have it! Wait until my rival sees this!" Lee said and dashed off, leaving Tenten and his squirrels to blink in surprise.

"I'm worried for Neji," Tenten muttered to one of the squirrels. Right as she said it, she heard a loud sneeze from the other side of the clearing. Looking up, she saw that Neji was now walking towards her.

Suddenly, it became very important to re-do the bow on the present she had fro him. Neji did not seem to notice as she worked, he was watching where Lee had gone with one eyebrow arched in suspicion. She got the present successfully wrapped again, and set it aside with a grin on her face. Tenten was not sure how he would react, but it would certainly be interesting.

"Where'd he run off to?" Neji asked.

"He's… getting something," Tenten tried to answer without giving anything away. Neji gave her a questioning look and was met by a smirk. He did not like that look on Tenten; when Tenten smirked it meant people were going to be met with sharp objects. Neji just let it drop and took a seat next to her under the tree.

There was a gentle breeze that made the branches above them dance gracefully, and Neji noted that her smirk faded into a simple smile. He also saw that she had a hand on a package that was sitting next to her, and it was almost like she was… rubbing it.

"What's that?" he finally asked.

"Oh that?" she seemed to be searching for an answer and he smirked as she thought. "Okay… Your birthday present."

"Can I open it?" Neji held out a hand and she laughed.

"No, Lee and Gai aren't here yet."

"So…?"

"I want you to open it with a crowd around you," Tenten smiled in an innocent way. "So that your reaction can be remembered."

Neji just stared at her for a moment, suddenly worried about what might be in that box. He started to try and reach for it, but Tenten caught his wrist easily.

"I just want to shake it so I can guess what's inside," Neji said and Tenten narrowed her eyes at him, though letting him go. He smirked at her and took the present. She watched as he gently shook the present , but she did not see the finger he slid under the ribbon and began to move in an effort to remove the ribbon.

"Hey!" Tenten cried out when she saw that he was taking the ribbon off. He just smirked back at her and worked faster, meanwhile she attacked him in an attempt to get it back. Neji tried not to laugh and pulled away, then he jumped up and took off at a run.

The last thing he heard was a laugh; then he hit the ground and dropped the box. Neji turned around to glare at her and saw that she had used chakra strings to pull his own feet out from under him. Tenten then pulled him back and ran for the present as he scrambled to get up again.

"Ha! Got it!" she cheered--

-- Only to be met by a tackle. The gift went flying from her hands and Neji was on top of her. She grunted in annoyance and looked up at the smirk above her. Tenten then squirmed to try and reach the present, but was pushed down again. She frowned at Neji when she realized that he had cut off just enough chakra to keep her from crawling away.

"Was that necessary?" Tenten wanted to know. He only nodded and made a move to go after the present… Only to find that he could not do more than a push up.

"Oh and that was?" he teased as she giggled.

"Now you do know I can't retract the chakra strings until I can use my hands again, right?" she pointed out.

"You've improved…" Neji shook his head.

"And now neither of us can reach your gift…" Tenten teased, ignoring their awkward position. "Whatever shall we do now…"

"Why would you get me something anyway?" he frowned down at her. "I forgot yours…"

"That's not the point," she retorted. "It's to show you thought of them."

Neji fell silent and stared into her eyes as she just lay there helplessly. He raised one of his hands near her shoulder, and she could feel his warmth brush her skin. She shivered involuntarily as she wondered what he was going to do. Neji brought his hand down, slightly to her disappointment, and rested it on her arm. He pumped chakra into her blocked passages to free them up once more. She smiled in gratitude and crawled away slowly.

He smirked at her and went to get up, but found he could still do no more than a push-up. Neji frowned as he saw her go over and scoop up the present, tucking it safely under one arm.

"Tenten…" he trailed off and she smiled at him coyly. He just glared at her until she finally held out her hand and released the chakra strings holding him down. Neji got up and dusted himself off, still watching her and deciding whether or not to go for the present again.

His plotting was interrupted by Lee shouting as he entered the clearing once more. The two turned to see him running up and noticed he was not in his usual outfit. Lee was in fact wearing a long, brown trench coat. Tenten felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up as she feared the scene that was about to happen.

"Neji, I think we should--" Tenten began but was cut off by Lee's show.

"Neji! Happy birthday!" Lee yelled and ran up to the two of them, then he did the unthinkable. He opened the trench coat up, and revealed that the only other thing he was wearing were his socks and shoes.

Tenten's face heated up with the shock of what she was being shown. She could see… everything. It was a sight that she knew would haunt her. She risked a glance over at Neji's reaction, and saw that he was taking this much worse. His face was slowly turning blue, and his mouth was wide open as his eyes twitched.

And from there the day just got worse.

"My youthful students!" Gai's voice reached them and Lee put his "present" away when he heard his idol coming. "We are being joined for training today by Team Kakashi!"

"Oh no…" Tenten muttered. Neji swayed dangerously and she calmly placed a hand on his shoulder to steady him.

"And that's why I am late, be--"

"You didn't have to wait for me, I know where you train," Kakashi said from behind his book. His team followed along behind him slowly and Gai looked taken aback that his rival knew their training grounds.

Gai paused when he saw the look on Neji and Tenten's faces, and then saw what Lee was wearing. He smiled weakly and said noting as he was reminded of what he had done once on Kakashi's birthday. Yes, there was no better way to celebrate a rival's birthday…

"Hey Sakura! Look what I got Neji for his birthday!" Lee hopped over enthusiastically.

"What, I--" Sakura began and screamed when Lee flashed her. Sasuke's face went deathly pale and a vein in his forehead looked ready to burst. Naruto squinted at her in confusion, then followed her gaze and saw "the present." Sakura's face began to look green.

Naruto screamed.

"Did he get that idea from you?" Kakashi asked Gai.

"I didn't actually tell him to, but it may have been an inspiration…" Gai answered.

"Sakura, are you okay?" Tenten asked.

"Haruno?" Neji managed to say, even in his daze.

"Oi, Sakura-chan!" Naruto poked her and that seemed to break her out of whatever shock she had been in.

"Sasuke-kun!" she yelled and grabbed onto her teammate's shirt. He was startled and carefully reached a hand around to pat her on the head. Naruto frowned and patted her back, seeing as he could not do much else.

Lee laughed nervously when Sasuke looked up and glared at him. Tenten tried to hold back a laugh while Neji just looked around dazedly, though seeming to now be less blue. Naruto noted the look on Sasuke's face and gave a foxy grin.

"Lee, you'd better run…" Naruto said.

"LEE!" Sakura finally snapped out of it and jumped up to attack him herself. He yelled in surprise and ran away, closing the coat tightly as he went. Tenten could not help but laugh and was met by Sakura's glare. "What are you laughing at?"

Tenten's eyes went wide and Neji shook his head at her with a knowing smile. Naruto and Sasuke just watched the crazy scene unfold as Sakura rolled up her sleeves and went for Tenten who was backing away.

"Sakura-san!" Lee jumped up and tackled Sakura with a hug. She cried out in surprise as she went down. "I knew the power of love would keep you from attacking me!"

The other's backed away again as they felt Sakura's anger escalate. Naruto's jaw had dropped as the two geniuses shook their heads and the others remained silent. Lee noticed as well and sweat-dropped as Sakura gave him the evil eye.

"I surrender!" Lee scurried away, waving a white flag that had appeared from nowhere. "The power of youth in Sakura-san is truly fearsome!"

"Girl power!" Tenten punched the air, and smiled nervously as she realized what she had just done. Sakura turned to her and smiled back, while Sasuke, Neji, Naruto and Lee looked around nervously.

"What?" Sakura questioned Naruto, whose eyes grew big. Most of the other boys had taken to hiding in the trees or bushes from the females by now.

"You're training today is a large scale spar, boys versus girls," Kakashi announced and the girls cheered as they took off after the boys.

"This was an odd day," Gai sighed.

"It's days like these that I have my book for," Kakashi said and turned a page.

Some time later…

All of the boys were rounded up, Lee because he would not fight Sakura and the others because "the present" had affected them so deeply. Sakura and Tenten stood side by side looking very pleased with themselves.

"Hey guys!" Ino appeared, with Hinata close behind. They all just turned to stare at them. "What..?"

Sakura and Tenten giggled as everyone continued to stare. Naruto got up and went over to say something , not seeing the increase in color in Hinata's face.

"hey Ino…" Naruto said and poked her. The blonde girl twitched and glared at Naruto.

"Naruto.." she said and he recognized that tone, and took off running with her behind him throwing kunai. Tenten shook her head at the scene, Ino's aim was terrible.

"Hey Tenten, how about now?" Neji picked up the forgotten present. She turned and jumped at him.

"NO! Not now!" she jumped at him and stole it back. He stared at her in disbelief as she tucked it safely under her arm once more.

"Let me see it Tenten…" he held out his hand patiently.

"No!" she yelled rather childishly.

"You said I could open it with a group," Neji glared at her. "Tenten…"

"Fine!" she shoved it at him and crossed her arms. He pulled off the lid and his eyes went wide and his cheeks reddened instantly.

"What is it?" Sakura asked and Sasuke went over to peek inside. The vein in his forehead threatened to burst once more. Naruto came back, looking defeated, and spied the contents of the package. He then proceeded to drop to the ground with fits of giggles.

"It was her idea…" Tenten muttered and Hinata began to look around nervously.

"Hinata?" Naruto gasped in surprise, the others gasped because it was Naruto who noticed first. Sakura and Sasuke looked at her in disbelief and she turned red.

"I t-t-t-thought Neji-nii-san would like it," she spoke nervously. Naruto fainted from lack of oxygen, which had been caused by excessive laughter. Tenten put a hand to her forehead and laughed nervously.

"Tenten, why would you give me these anyway?" Neji asked her with a raised eyebrow.

"Well… I…That is…" Tenten's face began to grow very, very red.

"Oh, I see," Sakura laughed. "Tenten has a cru--"

Sasuke elbowed Sakura hard to keep her from finishing her taunt. She looked put out, but said nothing further. Tenten's face now resembled a tomato, and Neji was even beginning to look pink. Wait… why would Neji turn pink.

"Just kiss her, dobe," Sasuke said.

"Okay!" said Naruto, who had just become conscious again. He went for Hinata, but unfortunately she panicked and knocked him out with her jyuuken.

"Not you, dobe! _Him_, dobe!" Sasuke rolled his eyes and walked away with Sakura trailing behind. Hinata was busy trying to revive Naruto as she mumbled apologies and Lee had decided to follow Sakura. No one knew where Ino went, they assumed she ran away after beating Naruto.

"So… Tenten?" Neji got her attention again, and saw that her face was still red. "Why--"

She suddenly had grabbed him and brought his face to hers in a kiss. Neji had no time to react before she had let go and turned back around with only the words: "There. That's why."

He blinked in surprise before a smile crept onto his face and he came up behind her, gently wrapping his arms around her shoulders. She stiffened at the contact, but relaxed as his grip was firm yet sweet.

"That was the best birthday present yet," he whispered and kissed her cheek.

-------

**Author's Note: **Wow… that was random and long… I don't know why Sasuke called Neji a dobe, it just seemed to fit the situation. Hope you liked it!


	6. Light Up

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto. Or an office actually. An office would be interesting, except for that whole working factor (rambles on about ownership…)

**Author's Note: **Request from _A Crazy Girl of Many Names _for a KakaShizu. This is probably very OOC, but I really tried!

_Light Up  
by MT Pocketts_

_"Light up, light up, as if you have a choice... Even if you cannot hear my voice, I'll be right beside you dear..."_

Shizune was humming to herself as she shuffled through the mission reports Tsunade had requested. It was a particularly slow day for the Hokage today, which worked for Shizune as it meant she had time to relax for once. But… it seemed like it was just too quiet at the moment. She frowned slightly and set the paperwork in a neat stack as she reached for her schedule.

Sure enough, it said that Hatake Kakashi had an appointment with Tsunade an hour ago.

"Of all the nerve…" she huffed and put the schedule back into it's place. Shizune grabbed the reports once more and sorted out the ones the Hokage wanted. She was about to rise when someone walked up to her small desk.

"Hello, Shizune-san," Kakashi smiled through his mask at her. She blinked in surprise at the sight of him, wondering how he could just walk in without so much as an excuse.

"You're late," was all she could say.

"Ah yes, you see I was lost on the road of life when--" he began but a yell from Tsunade's office stopped him mid-sentence.

"Is that Kakashi?" the Hokage yelled, and Shizune looked slightly embarrassed when she yelled back an affirmative.

"Were you going to take those to Tsunade-sama?" he asked, not the least bit fazed by all of the yelling.

"Well, yes, but--"

"Here, let me save you a trip," Kakashi gave her another friendly smile before taking the documents and heading into the office. She blinked in surprise once he was gone as she tried to make sense of what had just happened.

He showed up an hour late, and acted like it was nothing. She found herself sweating with nervousness when she was only a quarter of an hour late, and Tsunade tended to frown on that. What would she do to someone who was a whole hour late?

Shizune glanced towards the Hokage's office, seeing that the door was ajar. From what she saw, they were talking as if everything was perfectly normal. Where was the vein that usually throbbed in Tsunade's forehead when someone made her wait? Something just was not right here.

The brunette sighed and shook her head, letting the thought go before getting back to the unlimited paperwork that adorned her desk.

-x-X-x-

It was the next day, and the nice weather shone through the window that Shizune could see through from her desk. Today was another one of Sakura's training sessions, and Shizune could feel the chakra being used. The girl had excellent control, thankfully, as Tsunade pushed her to the limit constantly. There were no scheduled meetings or appointments, yet Shizune still found herself facing the window. Inside on a lovely day, manning a schedule that was empty until tomorrow.

"Wouldn't you rather be out there?" a voice made her nearly jump out of her skin, and Shizune looked up to see Kakashi smiling down at her.

"Kakashi-san!" she sounded surprised.

"Shizune-san," he seemed happy to have caught her by surprise.

"I don't think you have an appointment today," Shizune looked at him, slightly confused.

"I can't stop by and leave something for my old student, Sakura?" he held up a small book, which Shizune carefully looked over. It was a strategy guide, which was certainly not what she expected to see him holding . She nodded with a sigh and he entered the office carefully, with only mild confrontation.

Shizune just did not get it, how was he able to go around without problem like this? Late, laid back, and care free… Things she had always wanted to try. She found herself staring out he window again, ignoring the small pile of paperwork she had been sifting through earlier.

"On a day like this, you should really be outside Shizune-san," he startled her again and she looked up at him with wide eyes.

"But I'm working--"

"Tsunade-sama will be busy the rest of the day, we both know it. Come on, just this once," Kakashi held out an inviting hand and she thought it over. In the office, Tsunade was too distracted to notice. Outside, the sun was shining and birds were singing.

Had she not just thought about how to be more laid back?

Shizune smiled nervously and took his hand. His visible eye seemed to brighten as he guided her around the small work station and away from the Hokage's office.

-x-X-x-

"Here?" she stared in surprise at the lush forest just outside the village's gates.

"Yes, I have something to show you," he pointed towards a path and started walking, leaving Shizune to jog to keep up. Kakashi just smiled more when she caught up to him, making her wonder why they were in the woods on such a bright day.

Wait… he wanted to show her something?

Bells went off in her mind as various stories went through her head. Kakashi did read those perverted books Jiraiya wrote, would it be that much of a stretch? Then again, she was a medical ninja. If it was a problem she could disconnect all kinds of nerves.

_Stop it, you're worrying about things that will never happen._

She bit her lip and tried to push the thoughts from her mind. Work. That would definitely distract her. She thought back to whether or not she had gotten those papers filed away. There was still a stack on her desk, hopefully it was nothing vital. But what if she forgot what it was and--

"Are you alright?" Kakashi asked calmly and she smiled up at him.

"I'm fine," she replied.

"Really… You look like you're organizing a library in your head," he pointed out.

"Not a library… Jus the office paperwork."

"I think you work too much," he spoke plainly and they stopped. She looked up to see a memorial with many names and there were fresh flowers laid down in front of it. Shizune studied his serious expression and said nothing, wondering if someone close was listed there.

"My mother," he said. "Her name is the third one down in the far left column. She died when I was very young, I barely remember her."

"I'm sorry…"

"She worked as a secretary to the Third, much like you do for Tsunade-sama now," Kakashi turned to her. "She died sitting at her desk during a raid. They went for the Hokage first, and she was the closest to the door once the guards were taken out."

"I'm sorry that's how it happened…" Shizune said.

"Don't overwork yourself, have a little fun sometimes," Kakashi said, "She tried to, but it didn't always work out. I just want ed you to see this."

"Thank you, Kakashi-san…" she found herself not knowing what to say.

"You don't need to be so formal with me," he said, and managed to brighten up once more. She smiled at him.

"Why did you want to show me this?"

"I didn't want you to be the same way, you just seem like you needed to loosen up," he explained. "And… you seem the same way. She was so opposite of me, she woke me up and made me leave for the academy early. She made me get my homework done right away, she would keep at me until I'd done it all."

"And I'm so organized and punctual I reminded you of her?" Shizune laughed.

"Well… yes," he laughed slightly. She watched his visible eye and he stared deeply back into her own eyes. Slowly, Shizune reached up and pulled him down to meet her and he bent to her will. She kissed him, not bothering to remove the mask. He parted with her briefly, putting a hand on the small of her back and used the other to gently tug down his mask. Shizune silently studied is face, and was then met by his lips touching hers softly. It was a moment she would not soon forget.

-x-X-x-

_A few days later…_

Shizune was once more in the office, with the paperwork stacked in neat little piles. To the untrained eye, it looked like things were back to what they were before. To the eye that knew better, it was clear that Shizune was actually playing tic-tac-toe with one of the guards via a shuriken with the paper attached. Anytime someone asked, both would reason that it improved their aim as well as their strategic thinking.

Even Tsunade had been surprised by the sudden change. Just the day before, Naruto had been early for an appointment but when he had taken ten minutes to enter the office the Hokage had investigated. She found him, Ton-Ton, and Shizune gambling with scrolls, and of course had to join in. It was a thankful change, as now Shizune seemed more like the tough little medic Tsunade had kept with her over the years.

But today the office seemed more dull than usual, even as Shizune returned the shuriken to the guard. It was another nice day outside, and the sunlight streamed in through that same old window. Shizune sighed and placed another stack of paperwork in it's appropriate pile as she watched the fluffy white clouds go past.

Then a kunai came through the window and stopped perfectly in the side of her desk. She blinked in surprise and grabbed the note that was attached to it.

_"Picnic at the lake?" _was all that it said. She smiled and scribbled a reply before tossing it out of the window once more. Shizune then poked her head into the Hokage's office and said she would be leaving early.

It was not long before Shizune found herself on a white and red checkered blanket with Kakashi, finding out that it was a lot easier to be laid back than it had seemed.

-------  
A/N: The italicized line at the beginningis from a song I know, but I don't know the title or the artist. It was featured in "Shrek 2" and in the preview for "The Guardian", so I clearly don'town it.


	7. For Sakura and Kiba

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or any of the characters.

**Author's note:** Everyone will be OOC. This is dedicated to my best friend and little sister _Kuroune's Forbidden Lover_ who roleplays on myspace as Sakura and Natsumi(her OC) and I roleplay as Ino and Neko (my OC), needless to say my boyfriend is Sasuke and hers is Kiba. I have a very vague idea how they met, but here's my version!

It was Friday night. Haruno Sakura was sitting at home, with bowls of popcorn, chips, dip, and bags of candy on hand. The doorbell rang and Sakura opened it to see a smirking blonde—Yamanaka Ino. The girls laughed mischievously and Ino dashed into the living room as Sakura popped a tape into the VCR.

Yes, it was the night they shared their videos of stalking the boys of Konoha. There was something to be said for best friends who spent their Fridays eating popcorn and watching boys on TV.

"I love yaoi…" Sakura murmured as she ate another mouthful of popcorn. Ino giggled as they watched Neji and Gaara kiss on the screen. Last week's tape had been destroyed by Neji, but the two knew better this time. The tapes would be kept in box hidden where even Neji's eyes could not see.

"Hey, where'd you get that one?" Ino pointed at the screen as Shikamaru paced outside the flower shop holding what was obviously wildflowers. Sakura giggled and pointed at the date on the screen. Ino flushed as she realized that it was the day that she and Sasuke had gotten together— right after she had broken up with Shikamaru.

"Poor guy, you can almost see you two through the window…" Sakura teased and Ino responded by throwing a pillow at the girl. Sakura dodged it easily and Ino's face glowed a dull pink. Sakura turned back to the screen, smiling happily at their latest footage. Ino's blush soon faded and her mouth broke into a soft smirk as her friend was entranced by the images before them.

"I have something you might like," Ino pulled out a tape and shook it deviously. Sakura nodded happily and Ino went up to change out the tapes. Sakura laughed when the screen showed Temari yelling at Shikamaru and then switched over to the training grounds where Kiba, Shino and Hinata trained.

Ino watched her friend's reaction as the tape showed the group-- mainly the two boys-- practicing basic taijutsu. Sakura's eyes had taken on a dreamy look and she had slowed her consumption of the popcorn. Ino smiled contently and watched the screen.

It was not long before they saw Hinata approach Shino and whisper something that the camera had not picked up. Kiba had obviously caught it and his face seemed to turn… was that pink?

Ino once more glanced over at Sakura, who now officially looked confused. Ino turned back, and dimly wondered if she was doing the right thing.

Shino and Hinata left the taijutsu area and Kiba hung back a little, acting like he was still going to work some more. Akamaru dashed off to the side when Kiba threw a toy for him, and the dog's barking could be heard faintly. The barking seemed to get louder, and then the screen suddenly turned white.

"What the heck?" Sakura burst out.

"Just watch…" Ino frowned a little, as now the screen was a jumble of her yelling for Akamaru to get off and Kiba yelling at her for spying. Soon, the screen went blank.

"You wanted me to see how not to spy?" Sakura raised an eyebrow at Ino who waved her hand at her and told the pink-haired girl to just keep watching.

Soon enough, the screen came back into focus. There was Kiba, sitting under a tree with Akamaru lounging in his lap with a head on his thigh. Kiba was running a hand through the dog's fur, almost more for his comfort than for the pup's. Sakura stared at the screen in confusion, but ate another handful of popcorn anyway.

"Sakura, I hope Ino shows you this…" Kiba began and Sakura nearly choked on her popcorn. Ino smacked the girl's back, only to receive a glare in return. "…Since I'm letting her off the hook as part of our deal if she does. I just wanted you to know this…"

"Ino, what the hell is going on?"

"Just watch!" Ino tried not to yell.

"That I like you," Kiba's voice cut both girls off. Sakura's eyes went wide. "To be honest, I've always liked you. I never got around to saying anything since you were usually head over heels for some other guy… but it's just how I feel. If you want, sometime I'd love to take you out to dinner. If not, that's fine. At least you know now."

The tape ended with a flash of a nervous smile from Kiba, and Sakura sat there with her eyes wide and her mouth hanging open. Ino watched her for a minute and waited for everything to click.

"He… He really…" Sakura murmured.

"Yeah," Ino replied with a grin.

"And… and he wants to…."

"Yup, a date."

"But how do I…." Sakura blinked, seeming to have come out of a daze. Ino shook her head with a slight laugh and pulled out a slip of paper with the Inuzuka's home address on it. She handed it to Sakura, who spent at least a full minute just staring at it.

"Go, he'll love the surprise," Ino said and Sakura nodded before jumping off the couch and heading out the door.

Ino smiled proudly and pulled out her cell phone, knowing full well that Sakura was going to have a new boyfriend by morning.

"Hey, Sasuke?" Ino said into the phone. "I think I'm going to be free for the rest of the night…"


	8. Dance, Dance GaaraTen

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto, Gaara, or Tenten…And "Dance, Dance" is a song by Fall Out Boy. I only used the title.

**A/N: **In the midst of working on a fic for _Falconfire_, I decided to give her a one-shot too. Enjoy!

Oh, and this one's totally AU….

_Dance, Dance_

Tenten leaned against a wall, with the disco lights roaming all around the darkened room. This was a "cultural festival" all right, just an excuse to get the genin from the Sand High and Konoha High to mingle. Something about tolerance… She sighed and looked up at the decorations over her head, there was one very obvious strobe light. Tenten frowned, the tings made her dizzy, and she doubted that the disco ball was going to help much with that.

There was a high-pitched giggle from the middle of the dance floor, and she automatically glanced towards it. Her stomach tightened at the sight; Neji's date was giggling at how expertly he had dipped her. Like some dance move from "Dirty Dancing." She hated that she had helped him learn it, then again she had assumed he was going to ask her.

No one thought Neji would take the girl from Sand, Temari.

Tenten's face set in a frown, and she walked towards the lady's room. What else was she supposed to do? Why was she even here? She hoped he would realize that he was making a mistake and come to her, just like in the movies. Boy, that was a really stupid reason.

The cool water felt refreshing as she splashed it on her face. Deep down, she had always known he would not be her knight in shining armor. She had not even bothered with make-up. Looking up into her reflection, she stared at the pale face looking back at her. She watched the water drip off of her skin, willing this ancient crush on Neji to go with it. She watched girls come into the bathroom, excited and giddy about the night. Tenten left so that they could have all the mirrors they needed for their make-up.

The deep bass hit her at full blast, reverberating through her rib cage and down her spine. It made her feel so hollow. Tenten turned away from the view of gyrating bodies to find a dark corner to hide in, only to find that someone had beaten her to it.

Gaara stood there alone, no one paying attention to the rumored psycho from Sand. Tenten looked him over, and noted that he only glanced up to see that Temari was not being violated by Hyuuga. She could not help but smirk at this observation. He was dressed in dark jeans with chains dangling off of them, and his shirt was a thickly woven mesh. Just tight enough to hide what was beneath, but still loose enough to make you wonder. But Tenten was drawn to his eyes, how they looked so cold underneath that shock of hair and that red tattoo.

Somehow, she found herself walking over to him.

He barely noticed her leaning against the wall next to him, but she knew he could tell she was there. Her arm was against his, the warmth touching hers made her shiver. In fact, he noticed her right away. Just after scanning the room to check on Temari, he let his eyes rove up the body of the girl next to him. She was dressed in a simple halter dress of deep red, it set off her chocolate eyes and deep brown hair.

"Why aren't you dancing?" she finally broke the silence.

"Because I don't want to," he answered curtly.

"Why not?" Tenten persisted, pushing off from the wall and standing right in front of him. Now he had to look at her.

"I'm only here because I have to be," he glared at her. "Who do you think you are?"

"I think I'm Tenten," she grabbed his hands and started pulling him to the dance floor, much to his surprise. "And I think you need to let loose."

She pulled him towards the middle of the floor-- a good distance away from Neji and Temari. Somehow, Tenten knew that they both needed away from the things troubling them, and the best way to do that was to get him dancing.

He stared at her when she settled on a spot, wondering why she had brought him here. Tenten gave him a warm smile, and slowly started to move against him. Gaara still stood stoic, completely at a loss for what to do. She was patient, showing him what she would do and then starting to take his hands and lead him. They were slower than the music playing, but neither of them seemed to notice now. They were both too intent on watching the other move.

Gaara finally let go. He raised his arms and let the brunette lean against him, swaying to the beat only they heard. Tenten brought her arms up to join her hands with his, once more guiding him in their dance. They circled, separated and came close again. Neither really knew how to dance, but they both knew how the other moved.

Tenten's eyes drifted lazily open, and the strobe lights hit her. Swaying with Gaara, the lights threw her off balance. By the time she thought to try and regain her balance, she had already fallen against Gaara. He blocked the harsh lights from her eyes, and looked down at her with a mix of concern and passion.

As though on cue, the two slowly moved closer. Lips pressing, hands finding their way into each other's hair. Tenten melted into his embrace, knowing that this was why she had come tonight.

And she never wanted that night to end.


	9. Sake TsunJira

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. Really.

**Author's Note:** Why yes, I am alive. I just happen to be in college and not have any of my uploadable chapters with me. Sorry! Hopefully summer will be good for updates... For now, random Tsunade/Jiraiya drabble. I just felt like writing something illustrating how I feel lately, you know?

_Sake_

She swirled a finger around the empty saucer, the sake that had once filled it now seeping into her head. The familiar buzz soothed her tired eyes as the same old scene played out in front of her.

His arm dangled loosely around the girl's waist, both of them laughing at nothing. She could not hear them, but despite her inability to lip-read she knew the words he had whispered into the girl's ear.

His fingers would delicately push the hair behind her ear, allowing him to lean in close and whisper his proposition. The girl giggled, his words were warm and his breath tickled her ear.

The saucer was filled with sake once more. She drank it down in one swallow, letting the burning in heart be matched by the physical one developing in her throat.

She watched the pair leave, arms around each other and feet stumbling over nonexistent roadblocks. His eyes sparkling, like they had at her once so long ago. One last drink of sake found its way past her lips. She sighed, letting her forehead sink forward until it finally came to rest on the cool wood of the counter. The saucer slipped from her hand with a clatter, as empty as her heart felt.


	10. Blue SaiIno

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Ino, Sai, or any other character from Naruto

**Author's Note: **This is an Ino/Sai request for CrazyGirlOfManyNames, sorry it took me so long to get around to it. My ex (for lack of a better term for him) cosplays as Sai, so it was kind of hard for me to write…

_Blue_

The turquoise petals were soft. He ran his fingers over them, finding an odd pleasure in the texture of the plant. As his fingers pulled away, the flower looked brown. He frowned. Why was it that everything so beautiful and soft was so fragile?

"Sai," the pink haired girl called his name softly. He looked over and let the blossom slip through his fingers to the ground. It was already dead to him.

"Is he ready for us, Sakura-chan?" he wanted to know. They had been waiting for an audience with Kakashi, but he had of course been busy helping Naruto train. Sai didn't mind waiting, but Sakura had seemed rather anxious the whole time. Perhaps she was worried that Naruto would wear himself out during training, she seemed to worry more and more for the blonde lately. Sai didn't understand it.

She didn't answer him, but instead left. Sai had known her long enough to realize that she expected him to follow her, so he obediently got up from his seat under a tree and went after her. Kakashi, Naruto and Yamato were all waiting for Sakura and Sai in a clearing. Several scars in the earth showed that Naruto had made some significant progress, both Yamato and Kakashi looked worn out.

"Sai, Sakura, good. We're just about to get going," Kakashi smiled from behind his mask. Even Sai could tell it was forced. No one else said anything, they simply just turned and went with Sakura leading the way. Puzzled, Sai went along and remained silent, contemplating what this behavior meant. These Konoha folk really didn't fit any of the descriptions in all the books he had read, their habits really were unique and confusing.

It wasn't until now that he realized Sakura wasn't wearing her trademark red outfit. The same went for Naruto, his orange was definitely missing. In fact, they were all wearing black. Sakura was carrying a handful of flowers, at least twelve like the one he had been playing with when they were waiting for the others.

He soon saw a large group of people, all seemingly standing around something. Once again, everyone was in black and many people were carrying flowers. Sakura walked around the people and shoved her way towards the front while the others hung in the back of the crowd. Out of curiosity, Sai followed his pink-haired teammate.

Sai soon found himself stopped short when Sakura stumbled backwards into him. He said nothing, and just reached forward to steady the girl. Mostly so that she didn't knock him down. He really didn't feel like getting dirty unless it was due to training. Sakura seemed to be fine on her feet, except that she now had extra weight hanging on her. Ino had clamped her arms around the pink-haired ninja, her face buried in her friend's shoulder.

_Bonds_, thought Sai. There was obviously more than meets the eye here.

"Did you bring them?" Ino sniffed, releasing her grip on Sakura, wiping her eyes. Her face looked pale, almost as lifeless as a wilting flower. Sai realized she wasn't wearing any make up, and it made her look like a wholly new person.

"Right here, I grabbed twelve because I wasn't sure how many you wanted," Sakura held up the flowers she had been carrying.

"Thanks," Ino offered a weak smile as she took the blossoms. "I couldn't believe we were out of Forget-me-nots. My mom thought I was crazy for wanting those, but it just couldn't be anything else… Nothing else would have been right…"

Sakura wrapped her arms around her friend once more. Sai stared on blankly. She was this upset over some blue flowers? Well, no. She ran a flower shop, and they had been out of these blue flowers. It still seemed like an odd reason to be so upset. The meanings of the flowers perhaps?

"Forget-me-nots…" Sai thought aloud. "Those flowers mean 'true love', don't they?"

Ino loosened her grip on Sakura again and looked over at Sai, her face oddly blank. "For memories."

"Memories," Sai repeated.

"Yes, for all the good times and the bad," Ino sniffed again. "Daddy would get it."

Sai fell silent. _Daddy… _So her father would be getting the flowers. Why would that be upsetting her so much? Flowers should make people happy. They were a typical gift from one person to another to express joy in knowing the other person. Why would that make someone so sad?

Maybe because everyone seemed to have flowers. People don't always all get one person flowers unless…

Oh.

_Daddy_ _would__ get it._

That meant that Daddy wasn't here to get it. Or if he was, as Sakura had explained to Sai once, it was only 'in spirit'.

Suddenly Ino's watery blue eyes made more sense to Sai. She was grieving. One of her bonds had been severed, probably unexpectedly, by death. He also realized now, that Ino was the only person not wearing black. She was wearing a simple dress, but it was blue. And not just any blue, it was forget-me-not blue.

The crowd went silent and turned to face the front. Ino clung weakly to Sakura's arm, needing all the support she could get. Sai thought back to the forget-me-not he had been playing with earlier. The blue had been darkened and smeared when he had pressed too hard on the petal. The edges of the petal had started to dry out and turn brown. Yet it had still been, in essence, beautiful. It didn't lose its scent or element just because it had started to wither and die, wilting didn't change that it was a lovely flower.

He blinked, wondering why he was staring at Ino's naked, watery blue eyes. They looked darker than normal. Or was it lighter than normal? Sai couldn't decide.

A slight breeze swept through the area, making Ino's hair flutter in the wind and reminding Sai of a flower swaying in the breeze. It seemed so fitting, the flower girl as beautiful as a flower, lovely even when she begins to wilt. Sai turned and walked out of the crowd the way he and Sakura had arrived, silent and steady as he made his way past more grieving people.

He slipped past his teammates standing at the back, noting that even they were standing in silent reverence. Sai continued going, until he finally found the splash of blue growth near the tree he had been sitting under. He plucked three of the flowers, careful to get as much of the stem as he could.

By the time he had returned, the service seemed to have ended. The people were milling about, some walking past a table and placing flowers on it as they made one last prayer for Ino's father. Sai found himself in this line, tossing one of the flowers he had collected into the growing pile. As the line ended, he found himself face to face with Ino, whose eyes had dried by now.

"Sai? You didn't have to, you know…" She looked from the table back to him, seeming unsure of what to say. "Well, thank you."

Sai made no response, but just reached up and took a hold of her ponytail, sliding the second of his flowers into her hair. The blue stood out in beautiful contrast with her light hair, and it matched her dress and eyes as well as he had imagined they would.

"Forget me not," he said, before turning and leaving.

As for the last flower he had picked, it found its way home with him and into a vase that now sits in the middle of his apartment.


End file.
